‘A master flute player and piper, Ó hAlmhain has been at the epicentre of Irish traditional music for half a century. The music on this CD is a musical jewel from a true master of his art.’
Prof Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin
A rich seam of tunes played by consummate flute player Micheál Ó hAlmhain. Growing up in Dublin at a time when the city teemed with pipers and pipers' clubs, sessions and musical characters, as a teenager, Micheál joined Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann and became a key architect in shaping its future.
On this album, from the elegant Murtach Mac Cana and Lady Maxwell composed by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738) to Eibhlín Gheal Chiúin, an exquisite air collected by Edward Bunting, Micheál shows the extent of his research on rare historical sources. His choice of music for the album is a delight and runs the full gamut of Irish dance tunes, from hop, slip and double jigs, to slides, polkas, reels and hornpipes.
At Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2016 in Ennis, Co. Clare, Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann awarded Micheál Ó hAlmhain its highest honour, that of Ard-Ollamh. Tréaslaímid a ghradam leis!
